Wednesday 27 June 2007

The Dim Blue Line

Gardaí are selling replica guns at a sale of lost and stolen goods in Dublin, it emerged today. Despite calls from a senior opposition politician for the silver and black-coloured mock pistols to be pulled from the auction the force insist they are harmless toys. A box of around 27 of the fake firearms, complete with plastic ammunition and two training targets, are part of a lot being auctioned off tomorrow at Kevin Street Garda Station.

This is an amazingly stupid move by the Gardaí. A Garda spokesman insists that they are obvious replicas, yet this is hardly the point... Gun culture is on an upward trajectory in Ireland. Do you not read The Star people? This gun culture was a constant bugbear of Honest Enda throughout the election, and thereby a considerable source of annoyance for The League Of Bertie. Gardaí, why then leave yourself so blatantly open for criticism by selling these 27 'toys'? Would just fucking them in the bin really have been that ideologically reprehensible? The cap gun as expression of freedom? Okay.

However, I must admit I am reassured by the fact that these are obvious replicas. I mean, an Irish post office has never been robbed with the aid of a replica firearm. Never in the history of this state has that occurred.

Phew.

NOTE - For international readers, The Star is a considered tome of bona fide journalistic reportage.